THQ unfazed by EA’s MMA challenge

THQ’s UFC series has nothing to fear from EA Sports new MMA brawler, insists VP of core games Danny Bilson.

UFC was a surprise smash hit last year for THQ, and its follow-up – UFC 2010 – has already debuted strongly in the UK and US.

“UFC made our year last year,” said Bilson.

“It outperformed expectations in the US by almost double. We are growing UFC into the world’s finest fighting franchise.”

With mixed martial arts proving to be hugely popular across the globe, EA has also decided to enter the space with EA Sports MMA, which is due for release this year.

But Bilson says THQ is not afraid of its rival and not just because it holds the official UFC licence.

“I think it is a lot more than the licence. I think it is the experience this company has in building combat wrestling games,” adds Bilson.

"We’ve been creating them for over ten years. EA has a big challenge in front of them in terms of getting the quality up and doing it without a licence. There is really no concern from us and our partners at UFC about what they are doing.”

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